It warns that unless the US's dependence on cars in towns and cities falls drastically, the transition to lithium battery-powered electric vehicles by 2050 will deepen global environmental and social inequalities linked to mining - and may even jeopardise the 1.5C global heating target.
But ambitious policies investing in mass transit, walkable towns and cities and robust battery recycling would slash the amount of extra lithium required in 2050 by more than 90%.
The research by the Climate and Community Project and University of California, Davis, comes at a critical juncture with the rollout of funding for electric vehicles through Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Acts.
Denne historien er fra February 03, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
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Denne historien er fra February 03, 2023-utgaven av The Guardian Weekly.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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The Saudi football World Cup is an act of violence and disdain
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TV
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Votes of confidence
From India to Venezuela and Senegal to the US, more people voted this year than ever before, with over 80 elections across the world. With rising authoritarianism and citizen-led resistance revealing its vulnerabilities and resilience in the face of unprecedented challenges, has democracy reached its breaking or turning point?